Aqua covering ‘I Am What I Am’?! This is an unexpected turn of events. Well if you think the band and song combo is unexpected, wait til you hear what they’ve done with it…
What have they done with it? Bubblegum pop act Aqua have turned Hi-NRG classic ‘I Am What I Am’ into a lo-fi, soft-spoken ballad. They’re calling it a re-interpretation. We’re calling it nothing short of some audacious trolling.
Why this? Why now? It’s the official anthem for Copenhagen Pride 2021, which also serves as World Pride this year. Aqua have praised the fact that the lyrics of the song have continued to resonate with the LGBTQ community four decades later. And they wanted to put a new take on them. Well they certainly did *that*.
Well if nothing else, it sounds like achieved what they set out to do. They have. Let’s be honest here – it’s what precisely nobody was asking for from Aqua in 2021. But their commitment to the message is admirable, their voice being added to the cause is appreciated, and their contribution to the song’s legacy is at least creative. And so with all of that in mind, it’s a welcome first step back into music from the band – while we wait for some proper great big ridiculous bangers from them.
You can find ‘I Am What I Am’ on our Best New Pop playlist. Right at the very bottom, but it’s there nonetheless.
